In other words, the focus was on ensuring that women were part of the composition of the SRs (descriptive representation). In doing so, it will serve as an outline of the study that will provide guidance for this study.
Rationale of the Study
Background of the Study
However, in the context of student politics, I am a member of the giant student movement SASCO. The substantial representation of women in the student management of the University of Kwa Zulu Natal.
Reason for the Topic Choice
Overview of the Literature
In reviewing the literature of this study, the researcher engaged a mix of international and local literature to expand the depth of the study. The researcher then continues to elaborate on the phenomenon of student governance, which is a central topic of this study.
Overview of Theoretical Framework
Outline of the Research Problem
Overall purpose of the study
Research objectives
Key research questions
Overview of Research Design and Methodology
Research design
Research methodology
In other words, a person must have certain characteristics that will make them useful for the purpose of the study in order to be selected as participants. For this research, the researcher focused on students who are members of the UKZN Student Representative Council (SRC).
Outline of the Study
Some of these challenges relate to the findings of the study done by Mthiyane (2009) and were in the context of women's political participation. The purpose of the study is to explore the political representation of women in UKZN student body governance.
Preliminary literature review and reasons for choosing a topic
Defining governance and related concepts
- Democracy
- Governance
- Co-operative governance
- Political participation
The concept of democracy is well-known defined as "government for the people by the people". Participatory democracy - Three sections in the South African Constitution (108 of and 118) call for the realization of participatory democracy.
Gender and Democracy
The glass ceiling and the gender affinity effect otherwise referred to as gender mainstreaming are theories that researchers use to include and analyze the attitudes and perceptions of the population towards female political leaders. Inglehartet al (2004:2) thus concludes that "if half of the population does not have full political rights, the society is not democratic".
Political participation of women in the global context
- Theoretical background to political participation
- Rationale for Political Participation
- Challenges Confronting Political Participation around the World
- Gender Inequality
- The Concept of Gender Equality and Political Participation
- Selected International cases of women’s political representation
Rwanda is a reflection of Sub-Saharan Africa leading the way in women's political participation. One of the overviews made in this article concerns trends in women's political participation.
An overview of South African politics with respect to governance and gender issues
Policy context
It is worth mentioning that this article was written two years before the introduction of the Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities. One of the principles that it seeks to strengthen is the idea of 50:50 representation of women as enshrined in the constitution.
Student Governance
Luescher-Mamashela (2011) produced a paper that partly traces the history of the concept of student governance and partly presents strong arguments for the importance of the participation of students in the decision-making of their respective universities. It therefore makes democratic sense that students should be represented in the decision-making body of the university.
Student Movements
Selected African Cases
- The Case for Cameroon
- The Case for Eritrea
- The Case for Zimbabwe
- The Case for South Africa
- The gender dimension of student governance in South Africa
In light of the above, it is evident that the notion of student political movements in higher education institutions was a force to be reckoned with. Sanger points out that it is a constitutional requirement that women hold 50% of elected office.
Significance of the study
What can be inferred from these challenges is that the political environment for students in its current state is not conducive to women effectively advocating for women's causes. This therefore raises the question of how women deal with the priority conflict of their organizational mandate and women's trajectory.
Defining the Concept of Political Representation
This Schumpeterian definition places the citizenry at the center of political representation as manifested in the democratic state. Mthiyane (2009) noted that the theory of political representation is as old as human existence.
Pitkin’s views of political representation
- Formalistic representation
- Symbolic representation
- Descriptive Representation
- Substantive Representation
Gender transformation, as stated above, is a political issue of national interest which is enshrined in the country's constitution. SADESMO subscribes to the IFP's ideology and principles as adapted to it.
The Implementation of Descriptive and Substantive Representation
Gender quota system
One of the strategic mechanisms through which democratic governments around the world attempt to enforce and uphold the principles of gender equality is the gender quota system. As has already been mentioned above, the rationale for the quota system as a whole is to improve the representation and presence of women in mainstream politics.
Policy Rationale for the Political Representation of Women
Gender Transformation
The charter calls for the involvement of students in the management of the university and this is realized via the SR. However, whether the same can be said of the SR is a matter of debate.
The Relevance of t0.he Theory of Political Representation for this Study
Conclusion
This chapter provides an outline of a theoretical overview of political representation as advanced by Pitkin in her various scholarly works. Thus, this chapter has analyzed political representation with a particular focus on two forms conceived by Pitkin.
Research Design
This chapter is therefore an outline of the research methodology and methods that were used in the implementation of this research project. 59 Research design and methodology are used to obtain evidence to characterize a hypothesis as valid.
Research Setting
The findings generated will therefore lead to the generation of detectable problems, alternatives and solutions related to the phenomenon under study. It can be characterized as such because it is an empirical study in nature that uses a combination of fieldwork and desk research to find answers to a research question.
Study Population
Sampling
Sampling Technique
This led to a number of changes in the composition of the sample and the sample size. This number changed to ten female participants when the number of women in the SRC was reduced to ten.
Sample Size
According to the original plan, the researcher had targeted fourteen women, all of whom were in the SRC at the time this research project began. 62 aimed to recruit all fourteen women who were in the SRC (both CSRS and LSRC).
Research Methods
- Data collection method(s)
- Data collection method(s) and process
- Participant access strategy
- Dates and setting of interview sessions
- Data capturing
- Data analysis and interpretation
- Ethical consideration
- Consent
- Limitations of the study
In accordance with the data collection plan, the researcher also planned to include the engagement of the RKS gender equality policy. The researcher began by requesting a list of current SRC members from the UKZN SRC Trustee.
Conclusion
69 views expressed by the participants were very ideologically subjective, which was the wrong propaganda and political canvas. Another limitation of this study was that the composition of the study population consisted of individuals who lack knowledge when it comes to political and policy issues.
Structure of Interview Schedule and Response Rate
This data analysis will be qualitative in nature and will be informed by both the literature review and theoretical framework accounted for in chapter two. 71 intended to explore the willingness of the participants to engage issues regarding gender transformation on the same bases.
Political Context of UKZN
The third set explores the current status quo in student government at UKZN and the need for the feminization of politics. On the other hand, the National Association of Student Movement (NASMO) improved on its 2011 performance after winning the central SRC seat.
Political Organizations’ Policy Document Analysis
Organizational Policies
- SASCO
- Overall Reflection SASCO’s Gender Policy Position
- ANCYL
- YCL
- SCF
- NASMO
- SADESMO
- DASO
- SAUS
In other words, the ANCYL or its existence is enshrined in the ANC's constitution. First, and for most, the existence of the student chapters of the ANCYL is not stipulated in the constitution of that organization.
Overall reflection
Gender and Description of the Sample
Political Background and Experience
- Why Does the Notion of Political Experience Matter
- Relationship Between Gender and Political Participation
This is important to consider because it indicates the political ideology to which the participants belong. I think it's a shame, but hey, it's a fault of the management system, I guess.
Gender Transformation at UKZN: A Model of Incremental Implementation
Therefore, it seems that women are passive about issues in which they should participate fully. By incremental implementation is meant the type of implementation that is not based on a rationalistic approach.
Challenges Confronting Gender Transformation at UKZN
Female Political Apathy and Male Political Dominance
For most, the issue of women's representation is an issue beyond the scope of their political activism. One woman attributes the lack of women's political participation to the fact that men are politically dominant and that they abuse this dominance to the detriment of women.
Patriarchal Political Socialization
It is clear from this that the lack of political participation by women is partly caused by the way in which some men view women. It is true that some men view and treat women as sex objects and this entrenches the oppression of women.
Attitudes towards Women in Leadership Positions
This is in line with Soule and Nairne's (2006) contention that the answer to why women are less interested in politics than men lies in the way they are raised. Almost all participants indicated a preference for male leadership over female leadership.
SRC Policies with Respect to Gender Transformation
The possible logical explanation for this implied attitude towards women holding leadership positions lies in the discussion of patriarchal political socialization accounted for in the above subsection. In the same way, it can also be another possibility that women in the structure are not confident about their leadership ability and because of this it is comfortable for them to be assigned a lower position because they do not submit to the kind of subject does not become and the amount of pressure that comes with leadership.
Political Willingness to Feminize Institutional Policies
Factors Hindering the Formation and Implementation of Gender Transformation Policies…
While it is undeniable that these issues deserve the attention they are being given, the RKS needs to do much more. As much as this preoccupation with these issues is a good thing, it limits the impact that the SRC could have on students' lives.
Conclusion
However, given that the number of women in the SRC has been declining, the idea of descriptive representation of women in the SRC remains debatable. This therefore means that there is a great deal of work to be done to improve the descriptive representation of women in the SRC.
Summary of the Findings
However, there was a group of women who were referred to in this study as “the exceptional twenty percent (20%).” It was also found that some male politicians abuse their political power and manipulate women when they need help, and that manipulation is regressive to the struggle for women's empowerment.
Implications of the Findings
This means that the number of women must increase in order for women's political leverage to increase. This is because, firstly, the participants did not sound intrigued by the topic and secondly, the organizations do not have clearly defined policies and programs that show how the issue of women's representation is handled.
Recommendations
116 they will always be voted out given the fact that gender transformation is a trivial issue for most men. The final implication highlighted is that gender transformation as a political agenda is not taken with the seriousness it deserves.
Concluding Remarks
Available at http://www.quotaproject.org/CS/CS_South_Africa_Manzini-final2-6-2004.pdf (Accessed 22 September Thinking about possible assumptions in the 50/50 debate: how do we predict women in legal positions what do women represent?” Available at UKZN Transformation Charter (2004) Available at www.ukzn.ac.za/docs/transformation- charter/the-ukzn-transformation-charter.pdf (Accessed 15 October 2012).
